A variety of inflated cushions are well known and used for sundry packaging applications. For example, inflated cushions are often used as protective packaging in a manner similar to or in place of foam peanuts, crumpled paper, and similar products. Also for example, inflated cushions are often used as protective packaging in place of molded or extruded packaging components. A typical type of inflated cushions is formed from films having two plies that are joined together by seals. The seals can be formed simultaneously with inflation, so as to capture air therein, or prior to inflation to define a film configuration having inflatable chambers. The inflatable chambers can be inflated with air or another gas and thereafter sealed to inhibit or prevent release of the air or gas.
In the process of inflating and sealing the chambers, the films are sealed by a variety of heating apparatuses. In traditional systems, the temperatures and pressures on the seals are not sufficiently controlled after the seal is made. Poor post seal control leads to increased packaging failure. Specifically, traditional machines pass the web material off the heating element and remove the compressive forces before cooling is complete. As such, improved heating and cooling paths and protection for the seal are therefore desirable.